Just a few days into the NBA season, there have already been several memorable performances and historic moments, such as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder becoming the first team in league history to start the season with two double overtime wins.
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon also made headlines after scoring a career-high 50 points in the team’s 137-131 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors. An NBA fan pointed out that Gordon also made history.
How Did Aaron Gordon Have A Historic Performance?
NBA fan Moose made the case on X, saying, “Aaron Gordon just had the most efficient 50-point game in NBA history.” They made the claim based on Statmuse’s analysis and posted a screenshot of Gordon having a 105.8% true shooting percentage while scoring 50 points.
Gordon’s performance cleared Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving’s 101.1% true shooting percentage when he scored 50 points against the Charlotte Hornets in 2022 and the 100.1% true shooting percentage that Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet had when he scored 54 points against the Orlando Magic in 2021.
Aaron Gordon just had the most efficient 50-point game in NBA history: pic.twitter.com/qIYieRydNh
— moose (@roadto81pct) October 24, 2025
Gordon made a career-high 10 threes and shot 17-21 from the field overall. He also made all six of his free throw attempts. His performance stunned the Warriors in the first half, making seven threes. A few of those were uncontested, partly because Gordon isn’t known as a shooter, and also because opposing defenses will always plan to stop three-time league MVP Nikola Jokić and scoring point guard Jamal Murray.
Gordon will continue to get open shots during the season, and if he has a career year shooting the basketball, the Nuggets could win another championship. Perhaps Gordon will finally earn an All-Star, which is an individual goal.
Vale destacar também (apesar da derrota) a performance HISTÓRICA de Aaron Gordon contra o GSW ontem. IncrÃveis 10-11 bolas de 3 convertidas resultando em 30 dos seus 50 pontos ontem a noite.
O BOM DE BOLA AARON GORDON pic.twitter.com/lTYwV4M4WT
— Coach de Sofá (@_CoachDeSofa) October 24, 2025
Gordon is starting his 12th season in the NBA, yet he just turned 30 last month. The Orlando Magic certainly hoped that Gordon would become an All-Star and franchise player when they drafted him fourth overall in 2014. However, Gordon never quite reached that level, and his time with the team is perhaps mostly remembered for his great performances in the Slam Dunk Contest.
He never clicked as Orlando’s primary scoring option and had multiple seasons where he shot under 30 percent from three and below 70 percent from the free-throw line. The Magic traded Gordon to the Nuggets in 2021 as part of their rebuild, and Gordon has thrived in the Nuggets’ system.
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Gordon has shot over 50 percent from the field every season as the Nuggets’ main complementary player when teams load up to stop Jokić and Murray. The Nuggets signed Gordon to a four-year $133 million extension in late October 2024 after he helped the team win the championship in 2023.
After shooting a career-high 43.6% from three in the 2024-25 season, perhaps Gordon’s season-opening performance is a sign that his improved shooting last season isn’t a fluke.
